| Event: | Women's 500 metres speed skating |
| Games: | 1960 Winter |
| Venue: | Squaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink |
| Date: | 20 February 1960 |
| Competitors: | 23 |
| Nations: | 10 |
| Win Value: | 45.9 OR |
| Gold: | Helga Haase |
| Goldnoc: | EUA |
| Silvernoc: | URS |
| Bronze: | Jeanne Ashworth |
| Bronzenoc: | USA |
| Next: | 1964 |
The women's 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of a women's event in Olympic speed skating. The competition was held on the Squaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink and for the first time at the Olympics on artificially frozen ice. It was held on Saturday, February 20, 1960. Twenty-three speed skaters from ten nations competed.[1]
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1960 Winter Olympics.
| World Record | 45.6(*) | Tamara Rylova | Medeo (URS) | January 11, 1955 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Record | - |
(*) The record was set in a high altitude venue (more than 1000 metres above sea level) and on naturally frozen ice.
Helga Haase set the first Olympic record with 45.9 seconds.
Helga Haase became the first ever female Olympic champion in speed skating.
| Place | Speed skater | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45.9 OR | ||
| 2 | 46.0 | ||
| 3 | 46.1 | ||
| 4 | 46.2 | ||
| 5 | 46.6 | ||
| 6 | 46.8 | ||
| 46.8 | |||
| 8 | 47.4 | ||
| 9 | 47.7 | ||
| 10 | 47.9 | ||
| 11 | 48.1 | ||
| 12 | 48.2 | ||
| 13 | 48.6 | ||
| 14 | 48.6 | ||
| 15 | 48.7 | ||
| 16 | 49.3 | ||
| 17 | 50.0 | ||
| 18 | 50.2 | ||
| 19 | 50.3 | ||
| 20 | Align=left | 51.4 | |
| 21 | 53.2 | ||
| 22 | 53.8 | ||
| — | DNF |